Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Sabaß, L.
• Buchenrieder, N.
• Rek, S.V.
• Nenov-Matt, T.
• Lange, J.
• Barton, B.B.
• Musil, R.
• Jobst, A.
• Padberg, F.
• Reinhard, M.A.

Titel

Attachment mediates the link between childhood maltreatment and loneliness in persistent depressive disorder

Ist Teil von

• Journal of affective disorders, 2022-09, Vol.312, p.61-68

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

Access via ScienceDirect (Elsevier)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• A central concept of attachment theory is that early experiences with close attachment figures shape the way we interact with and relate to other social partners throughout life. As such, early experiences of childhood maltreatment (CM) have been suggested as a key precursor of adult insecure attachment representations. As CM has been linked to feelings of loneliness in adulthood, this study examines whether insecure attachment could explain the relationship between CM and loneliness. Also, the moderating role of a diagnosis of persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is investigated, a disorder characterized by high levels of CM and loneliness. 60 patients with PDD (DSM-5) and 60 gender- and age-matched non-clinical control participants (NC) completed self-report questionnaires measuring attachment, loneliness, and CM. Mediation analyses (PDD as a moderator) were performed. PDD patients reported higher levels of CM, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and loneliness than NC. CM was positively associated with loneliness in both groups. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between CM and loneliness was mediated by avoidant, but not anxious attachment, regardless of a diagnosis of PDD. Caution when interpreting these results is crucial as the study lacked a clinical control group, relied on self-report measures, and the cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. All constructs studied were present to a greater degree in PDD. Above, findings provide initial evidence that avoidant attachment may explain the relationship between CM and loneliness. Potentially, adult avoidant attachment may lead to and maintain feelings of loneliness, regardless of PDD. •Attachment insecurity in depression and in persistent depressive disorder is linked to childhood maltreatment.•High levels of experienced maltreatment in childhood, and feelings of loneliness in adulthood are a common feature in patients with persistent depressive disorder.•Attachment insecurity, i.e. attachment avoidance, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and feelings of loneliness in adulthood in persistent depressive disorder and in a non-clinical sample.